United States AttorneyWestern District of Missouri

Three Men Indicted For $809,000 Meth Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that three men were indicted by a federal grand jury today for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute more than $809,000 worth of methamphetamine in Kansas City, Mo.

Luis Hernandez, 50, of Kansas City, Mo., Jesus Roberto Zamudio Beltran, 35, a citizen of Mexico with no known address, and Jerry Dean Matlock, 55, of Cherryvale, Kan., were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Hernandez on Aug. 9, 2011.

The federal indictment alleges that Hernandez, Beltran and Matlock participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Kansas City from Jan. 1, 2008, to Aug. 11, 2011. According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, law enforcement officers conducted 31 undercover drug transactions with Hernandez. Laboratory results from 25 of those transactions, the affidavit says, indicates that more than 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine was recovered.

In addition to the conspiracy, Beltran and Matlock are each charged with one count of possessing 50 grams or more of meth with the intent to distribute.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including Hernandez's commercial property of Pro Quality Detail at 5228 Truman Road in Kansas City, a 2004 Cadillac Escalade, a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air, a 2003 Ford F-150, a box trailer, $1,670 that was seized by law enforcement officers, and a money judgment of $809,200, which represents the amount of drug-trafficking proceeds obtained through the conspiracy.

Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Connelly. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives United States Department of Justice